C.T.Green who placed 1st in the Paranormal category with her entry Halo, Bk#1-Arras. AND final judge, Meredith Giordan (Penguin) has requested the full manuscript!!!
Woot! Congratulations to one and all!!!

*Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery Suspense*
Way to go Carolyn Wren who got an honorable mention for her finalist entry.

COVERS & RELEASE DATE

Kylie Scott

Kylie's debut novel, Flesh, a post-apocalyptic, zombie infested romance has a cover! It comes out October 1st, 2012 with Momentum Books.

Eleni Konstantine

Eleni has a novella coming soon.

Her novella, Gateway to Hell, is out September 7th, 2012, also from Musa Publishing.

Christina Phillips

Take a look at Bloodlust Denied, Christina's soon-to-be new release from Ellora's Cave.

Phew - fan the face!!!

Denise RossettiThe Dark Rose is the final book in the Four-Pentacle series and will be available on September 11th, 2012 from Berkley Intermix (their digital line).

Wow, this is one beautiful cover!

Astrid CooperFang and Tangois coming out soon from Extasy Books

BOOK SIGNING EVENT

The following Dark Siders will be attending the Australian Romance Readers Association Book-Signing Event (held in conjunction with the RWAustralia annual conference) at the QT Hotel on the Gold Coast, on Friday 17th August, 2012 from 4.30-6.00pm.

The world-building in Kylie Griffin’s Vengeance Born (A Novel of the Light Blade)
is wonderful. This is a creative world, with fascinating back-story and
interesting characters. I could completely buy into and appreciate the
difficulties the two leads faced in trusting each other and allowing
themselves to feel for one another; in most contexts I’d be frustrated
with the characters, but this was entirely understandable. The
exploration of cross-racial relationships, particularly within the
context of war, is lovely and touching.

OTHER

Lilliana Rose

Lilliana is the writer resident at the SA Writers' Centre.

Well done, Lilliana!

~~~~

Eleni's note: Thanks to Kylie Griffin for compiling most of this week's column

Thursday, July 26, 2012

One of the things I love when I'm reading or following a series are the little extras shared by author's about the characters from their books. Whether it's information shared in an interview or guest blog or even as snippets posted on their websites.

It's like the Special Features in the menu on movie DVD where you can learn more about the making of it, or listen to the actors share insights about the character they play. I usually watch them after the movie, rarely before, but when I go back for another viewing, having that little more information makes the story all the more meaningful.

So, today you get to learn more about Kymora, the blind priestess heroine, from ALLIANCE FORGED, Bk#2 in the Light Blade series (Berkley Sensation). If you've already read the book, then I hope this will make your next reading more interesting, or if you haven't, then I hope it entices you to pick it up! :-)

THE BLIND PRIESTESS

Name: Kymora Tayn

Race: Human

Age: 28

Background: Kymora is the Temple Elect, the high priestess of Sacred Lake and the human provinces. Her Gift was discovered during a search and she entered the Temple as an acolyte at the age of ten.

When she was chosen by the Lady to replace her predecessor, the Blade Council of the time protested her appointment. Having struggled for years to show others she was more than capable, despite her physical disability, Kymora harbored doubt about to her ability to cope. But determined to show them she could, she kept her doubts to herself. It was two years before her brother, Kalan, became the Lady's Chosen, but she often went to both him and Arek for advice in her role as Temple Elect.

The skilled use of her Gift and dedication to her faith earned Kymora great respect and admiration from those around her. It also allowed her a unique insight into people's thoughts and hearts, helping them and fulfilling her role as a Temple priestess.

Kymora first met Varian (the Na'Chi leader) in the Temple when he entered Sacred Lake to find out what had become of Annika (in VENGEANCE BORN). She soon became a champion of the Na'Chi after realising they were the ones the Lady referred to in Her message to the Blade Council.

Skills: Kymora is able to sense others emotions in their auras. She is able to read people more accurately if she can touch them. In her early days as an acolyte she used her Gift to help resolve conflicts. Both parties would give her their permission to monitor their auras at a much deeper level than she normally would. She'd detect when emotions were running high and diffuse or deflect or clarify them to help the parties come to a mutually beneficial resolution.

This ability is hampered though when Kymora's among a large group of people. Too many sensations bombard her mind and so she has to shut herself off from receiving this sensory input and this leaves her truly blind.

Kymora uses her staff to guide her and help her get around but she's also learned to wield it as a weapon to defend herself.

Interesting Facts:
• Kymora and Kalan's parents were traders who travelled all over the provinces but used Sacred Lake as their home base.
• 6 year old Kymora contracted Claret-rash from her mother after her mother contracted the disease while on a trading trip to the Eastern Crags Province. While her mother died, she survived but was blinded as a result - one of the less severe side effects of the disease. The event triggered her Gift - being able to sense peoples auras and through that, their emotions.
• She went from acolyte to Temple Elect at the young age of 21, only the second person in human history to ascend to the position in this fashion.
• In her role as Temple Elect, the Lady visits and speaks to her. It's Kymora's responsibility to inform the Blade Council of any message or edict given to her, whether she agrees with it or not.
• She dislikes the scent of vaa'jahn, the healing herb used as a generic antiseptic by Healers (a vivid memory left over from the time she was recovering from Claret-rash as a child).
• Kymora loves the tactile sensation of Varian's Na'Chi markings on his body.
• Keri-blossom is a floral scented incense that she prefers above all others.

There's a similar post to this one about Varian (the hero of ALLIANCE FORGED) over at My Bookish Ways should you be interested, and there are a few posts on my blog about other characters in the Light Blade series (just click on the label characters and you'll find them).

But before you go dashing off to read the other posts or the excerpt, I have some Light Blade swag* to giveaway (open worldwide).

Kymora loses her sight but gains the power to read auras as compensation. If you were to lose your sight like her, what special Gift would you want to replace it and why?

Answer the question by Sunday, 29th July to go into the draw. The winner will be announced Monday, 30th July. Good luck!

ALLIANCE FORGEDBk #2 of the Light Blade series

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a blind priestess lays claim to a half-breed warrior, body and soul…

Hunted and marked for death by Na’Reish demons for their half-blood heritage, the Na’Chi are searching for a new home—something an alliance offered by the human leader could provide. With both races divided by prejudice, when Light Blade rebels brutally attack the Na’Chi, the alliance seems doomed to fail.

Varian, leader of the Na’Chi, a hybrid race of gifted warriors, is cursed with the darker impulses of his demon heritage. Controlling the part of himself that craves the high of the battle is a struggle he’s afraid he’ll lose—until he meets Kymora Tayn, a priestess driven to serve her deity. While he’s unwilling to trust anyone outside his people, he finds himself drawn to Kymora’s strength and passionate nature, and discovers she has the power to calm the darkness inside him.

When the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves and kickstart a war, the key to the survival of both races —Na’Chi and human— is an alliance. However, when Kymora is kidnapped, pitting human against human, Varian realizes he must embrace his darker half, not only to save the alliance…but also the woman he loves.

Kylie Griffin’s obsession with all things paranormal/fantasy started at
an early age, when she used to imagine the jacaranda tree in her front
yard was a spaceship used to defend the world from invading enemies.
Writing stories seemed a natural extension to her childhood adventures.

Today, she’s a primary school teacher sharing her love for the written
word with young children. In her spare time, she writes and reads all
things paranormal.

Kylie lives in a small rural village in outback New South Wales,
Australia, where she volunteers in a number of emergency service
organizations in her local community. Visit her website at www.kyliegriffin.com

*The draw will be run using Random.com - the winner will have the choice of 2 x Light Blade swag items they'd like from the following - Vengeance Born book banner (50cmx90cm), Alliance Forged t-shirt (XL), Vengeance Born and/or Alliance Forged large magnet (21cm x 29cm), Alliance Forged mousepad.

Aside from wanting to give Kyan his own HEA (he's Wulf's kinsman, and is mentioned in The Crystal Warrior) I was inspired to write this story largely by my own insecurities about my weight, the power of first impressions (and how they can colour your relationships), and an email I received about a women's triathlon. Plus I wanted to write a wholly and unabashedly "Kiwi" heroine -- Ruby's Dream is set in my hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, and all the characters save the hero, Kyan, are Kiwis.

And here's a short excerpt from RUBY'S DREAM:

“What kind of crystal is it, anyway?”

Jules re-wrapped the crystal halves in the torn tissue paper and placed the bundle on the phone table. “Beats me. The old guy from the shop called it ky-something-or-other. Sorry. I’m sure I’ll remember after a few more of these cocktails, though.” She waggled her empty glass at Ruby.

“What am I? Your slave? Get your own bloody cocktail.”

“Some hostess you are.”

The doorbell shrilled. Jules hunched her shoulders and made a face. “God. When are you going to get that damn bell fixed?”

“Um, never? I’m used to it now. It’s quirky. Like me.” Ruby could hear cat-calls and loud chatter from outside.

Jules pinned her with a sharp glance. “Are you ready?”

Ruby had no trouble deciphering that glance. Was she ready for the disbelief and unwanted advice from her friends regarding this outrageous goal she’d set herself? Was she ready to face their well-meaning platitudes that she was okay just the way she was? Was she ready?

Shit no. And in retrospect, maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to have emailed her entire contacts list about registering for the triathlon. But she would bluff her way through this evening—just as she had so many others. She smoothed her dress over her hips, and threw back her shoulders. “Fix me another cocktail, Jules. It’s show-time.”

Jules saluted her with an empty glass. “You got it, babe.”

Ruby sashayed over to the entranceway with an exaggerated wiggle of her bum that made Jules snort with laughter.

She opened the door. The effusive welcome she’d planned stuck in her throat. All she could do was stare, openmouthed, at the most beautiful man she’d ever seen in her entire life.

No exaggeration. Ruby was connoisseur of the male form. Other women her age bought gossipy fashion mags. Ruby splurged her hard-earned wages on her secret vice. Really classy male erotica magazines. Odes to the male form in all its manly splendor. Ooh la la!

So how did this guy stack up with those airbrushed fantasy men? Oh, he was right up there with the best of them. Really up there. Cover boy material—the best of the best.

He was tall—at least six feet. He’d scraped his blond hair back from his face and secured it with a tie. The severe style highlighted intense blue-green eyes the exact shade of an aquamarine necklace Ruby had stuffed in the bottom of her jewelry box. With his high cheekbones and full lips, his face was only saved from being too pretty by a nose that was just a tad too long. It suited him though. Made him look… regal. And the icing on the cake? A honed, muscular physique that looked formed by years of actual physical exertion, not just pushing weights around in a gym.

A man to sigh over. With a body to die for.

And Ruby was positive she wasn’t merely imagining his amazing body because, courtesy of the unlaced leather vest he wore instead of a shirt, there was such an awful lot of it on display. In fact, she was having such a good time drooling over all that burnished bare skin and those rippling muscles, she barely noticed the other guests hovering behind him. Or their grins.

Having completed her voyage of discovery, she dared raise her gaze to his face again. His gaze locked with hers. The rest of the world blurred, pushed to a tiny corner of Ruby’s brain. Unimportant. Meaningless. There was only him and her. And God, the way he was looking at her, like she was a delectable treat he couldn’t wait to eat.

Thanks for sharing, Maree!

***

RUBY'S DREAM is available now at Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Sony, Kobo, Diesel eBooks and All Romance eBooks.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Kylie Griffin
The third in Kylie's Light Blade series, Allegiance Sworn, has a cover! It also has the release date of 2nd April 2013.

Wow, wow, wow! And what do I see ON the cover 'National Bestselling Author' - woohoo!

BOOK SIGNING EVENT

Keri Arthur

Keri will be taking part of the RWAmerica's 2012 'Readers for Life' Literacy Autographing at the Anaheim Convention Centre (next to the Anaheim Marriott) on Wednesday 25th July from 5-8pm PT in the Ballroom (third floor). *No outside books will be allowed in.*

It's for charity, so if you are in the area, drop in.

TV RIGHTS UPDATE

Maree Anderson

We previously mentioned that Freaks of Greenfield High has been optioned by Cream Drava. Apparentnly they've hired DAMIEN KINDLER of Sanctuary, Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis fame to consult on the story treatment and help whip it into shape before they ptich the project.

How freaking awesome! (no pun intended)

COMING SOON

Anna Hackett

Anna will be self publishing The Anomaly Trilogy, with the first book - Time Thief - will be released in August.

"As story lines go, this one was exciting and well built. Which wasn't a surprise being that Keri Arthur wrote it. *grins* Besides it being exciting, it was also dark and gritty and everything I love in a book. When I only had a hundred pages left, I began to panic. I didn't want it to come to an end. Luckily, Darkness Hunts will be released in November, so I'll try to survive until then...*grins*"

Just a heads up, we will be taking a hiatus from 7th August to 1st September - well other than some Good News Posts if I have time to do.

Many of the DarkSiders are going to the Romance Writers of Australia conference on the Gold Coast, and others are doing the Clayton's Conference. So we need a bit of time to wind up and wind down from these events.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

With eyes that reflected the very fires of Hell, it came. Slavering, wild and inestimably cruel. It sunk on its haunches, muscles bunching beneath glistening ebony fur. Four strong paws, tipped with obsidian claws clicked against icy pavement. I gave a cry and turned away. There was no kindness in those crimson eyes, no gentle heart beat beneath that muscled chest. There would be no mercy from this beast. I knew it, so I ran.

So what are these beasts and where did they originate?

Today I'm talking about the Hellhound, a mythical beast that appears in mythologies all around the world. The Hellhound in its various forms has been found in Greek, English, Welsh, German, Catalan, Central American mythology to name but a few.

Firstly, I'm going to talk about "Black Dogs", a name now synonymous with depression and misery. Throughout Europe, legendary black dogs of enormous size have appeared to haunt particular places and prey on humans.

Phantom Black Dogs

[image courtesy: Brenda Rosen, Mythical Creatures bible]

In almost every county throughout England (and Belgium as it happens) there are Phantom Black Dogs. There are of course regional variations, but most are described as being as large as a calf, red eyes a big as saucers and a shaggy coat. They haunt ancient paths, crossroads, churchyards and old gallows sites - all places associated with bad luck, superstition or unexplainable events.
Legend has it than on Sunday 4th August 1577, in a town in Suffolk, a terrible thunderstorm took place. Suddenly, a huge black dog, known in the area as "Black Shuck", lit by lightening, appeared in the church attacked the congregation. Most believed that that the beast was a Hellhound, sent by the devil. The beast is credited with killing two people and injuring several more.
The dog was later believed to have visited the Cathedral of the Marshes in Blythburgh (Holy Trinity Church) during the same thunderstorm - within an hour of its earlier appearance. In this appearance the hound, after charging down the aisle, fled through the North door of the church. Large black scorched gouges can still be seen on the door. (Which I think is pretty nifty!)

In other places throughout England, the black dogs are believed to be portents of death. One, apparently commonly sighted in Yorkshire, is called the Barghest. It is believed that anyone who sights this creature will die shortly after. It is my opinion that the Grim in Harry Potter is probably closely linked to this one. Similarly there is a similar beastcalled the Mauthe Dog, who guards the ancient castle of Peel, on the Isle of Man.

As I mentioned Belgium earlier, I feel I should also mention the Kludde. This is a black dog, who can also appear rather randomly as a cat, frog, bat or horse. In all its forms, the Kludde can be identified by the sounds of rattling chains, as well as blue flame that flickers around its head. The Kluddes modus operandi is jumping onto the backs of lone travellers and mauling them... nice.

CerberusI couldn't write about Hellhounds without mentioning Cerberus, whom it is said is the mythic ancestor of all other Hellhounds.
Cerberus is the terrifying hellhound that guards the gates of Hades (the Underworld in Greek Mythology). Cerberus' job is to ensure that no living person can enter the underworld, and likewise, no spirit escape.
Cerberus is described in several ancient works chiefly Homer and Hesiod, in the 8th Century BC. Cerberus is uniformly described as immensely huge and fierce, and originally was described as the offspring of Echidna and had fifty heads. Later texts describe him as having three heads, and the tail of a serpent and mane of snakes. You may also remember "Fluffy" from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone... a giant dog with rather noticible Cerberean characteristics!

The Beast of Gevaudan
My last Hellhound to mention is called the Beast of Gevaudan. There is a lot of information on this beast as it walks the line between mythological beast and cryptid. This means that there are eye witness accounts of the creature and although the beast cannot be proven to have existed, it hasn't been proven to not to have existed either.

The Beast of Gevaudan hanted the area of south-central France during 1764 - 1767. The beast allegedly killed between 60 and 100 people, namely women and children. The creature was said to be as large as cow, with wide chest, long tail, pointed ears and a mouth with protruding teeth. There was mass hysteria obviously about this creature, so King Louis XV ordered his huntsmen to kill it. Although King Louis sent his finest huntsman, it appears they were unsucessful and it was eventually brought down by a man named Jean Chastel, who claimed to have prayed on the bible before hunting it. There are naturally many hypothesis about what exactly the Beast of Gevaudan was. Some say a human mass murder, others suggest some remnant population of ancient wolf. None the less, a fascinating beast to be sure.

Well I hope this post has been fodder for your muse, and you've discovered something you didn't know about the magical world of myths and mythology.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

REVIEWS

Tracey O'Hara

Here is an actual quote from the August issue of the RT Magazine (because I didn't have it when I posted in previous Good News Day).

4.5 stars for Sin's Dark Caress.

"The threat of the Dark Brethren rising hovers over O'Hara's impressively compelling series with wonderfully chilling menace. This third installment explores witch clans and murder by deadly dark magic. None of O'Hara's protagonists are without flaws, but all have guts and determination in the face of dangerous odds. O'Hara is on a roll!"

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Helen has been sending polite reminders about today being my turn to post for a week now, but here it is, 3.00 in the afternoon, and I have absolutely nothing to say.

So I thought I might as well talk about being a writer and being disorganized (in a rambly, disorganized sort of way)

When I first started out writing, my goal was to become a full time writer. Not only because it was something I'd dreamed of achieving ever since I got serious about my writing, but because I figured I wouldn't have to squeeze in writing time between work and family commitments.

Now that I have achieved that goal, do I actually have more writing time?

Ha!

In fact, I think I got more writing done when I was working full time than I do now. Why? Because it's not just about the writing anymore. It's about the edits, the line edits, the galley checks, the promotion, keeping up with social media, keeping websites up to date, and answering fan emails--all of which I'm woefully behind on. In fact, one of the reasons I'm late with this post today is the fact I got a prod from my editor about adding their links to my site (for those who don't know, I changed from Bantam Dell to Penguin Signet with my latest release).

But you have to have a life--and an escape--outside all of that as well, if only because burn out can become a very real problem if you don't. My escape is gym. I train 5 days a week, for between one and two hours a day, and if I don't get my exercise don't be in the same room as me. It gets ugly. I also lunch regularly with friends and have been known to shop. Occasionally (as anyone who follows me on facebook would know <g>)

Of course, I'm extremely lucky. My daughter is all grown up and capable of looking after herself, so it's really only me I have to look after (well, me and the dogs). I can--and do--write at all hours, depending on what else might be going on. But what if you haven't got that luxury?

Then it becomes a matter of priority. For me, there's two. I write, and I make sure I have me time. Facebook, twitter, website, emails--that's all secondary. If it falls behind, so what? When my daughter was younger, then she was top of that list, and me time came third, but I always made sure I had writing time, and I always made time I had me time. Even if it was half hour before everyone was up in the morning or once everyone had gone to bed.

I'm also a big believer in setting daily targets and making writing a habit rather than something you squeeze in when you can. For me, it's a minimum of five pages, but it doesn't matter if it's one paragraph or ten pages, the main thing is that you sit down and you hit that target. Every. Single. Day.

So what about promotion? You hear so many writers saying these days you have to promote, promote, promote, that it is the only way to get your name out there....well, I've never actually believed it makes all that much difference. In fact, I think if you over promote it can have the opposite effect--as in, people get sick of seeing your damn name everywhere!

When I was with ImaJinn, I had a website and I blogged. I occasionally did joint RT ads with other ImaJinn authors, but other than that, I let my writing do the talking. And I was one of ImaJinn's top sellers, with mid four-figure royalty statements at a time when the Kindle and the IPad were little more than a twinkle in their creators eyes. When Bantam Dell took me on, I basically continued doing what I'd always done. I did do guest blog posts when asked, but I never actively sought them out, and I only joined facebook and twitter under pressure from my publisher. Of course, I'm lucky in that Bantam and now Penguin do a fab job promoting me themselves, but I still think it's word of mouth that makes the difference between a book selling well or not. Which isn't saying you shouldn't promote, just that you shouldn't stress over it that much.

And I think I've rambled on enough now. To apologize for the late posting, I'm offering up a signed copy of my latest release--Darkness Devours--to one lucky person. Just send an email to kez @ keriarthur . com (no spaces) and put Darkside Giveaway in the subject line. I'll draw the winner next Wednesday (if I remember!) :P

Kylie Griffin
VENGEANCE BORN made the Barnes & Noble romance trade best sellers list for several weeks during May/June.

Both of her Light Blade books are also currently listed in the Amazon Top 100 romance Fantasy/futuristic/ghost e-books best sellers, with ALLIANCE FORGED ranked #68 & VENGEANCE BORN #69.

Majorly cool news.

SALES & COVER

Nicole MurphyEuryale (a short story) has been accepted for the Blood Stones anthology edited by Amanda Pillar. It will be released in October.

‘Euryale’ is the story of one of Medusa’s sisters. After centuries of life, this particular gorgon is over all the hate and anger and destruction and just wants a quiet life, which she believes she’s found in Australia. But life doesn’t always go to plan…

Oooh, a Greek myth retelling. Love those!

SALES

Michelle de Rooy
HOT off the Press!! Michelle has sold her contemporary romance to Samhain! She will be writing under the name Dakota Harrison.

"Vengeance Born is an excellent book by Kylie Griffin, and I really enjoyed reading this book. The romance is so different then the norm, and it is very gratifying. Prejudice plays a major part, and though this book has a happy ending, it is far from over. The series will continue, with much anger, hatred and prejudice still to be fought, not to mention the war between the demons and humans. Up next, Alliance Forged."

"This is an amazing love story, to watch Kymora break the shield around Varian, and how they both explored their growing love, something neither had experienced. Very nicely done, as I really enjoyed this romance, as it was totally different, and very nice to see."

Janni Nell
The latest Allegra Fairweather mystery, Island of Secrets, is out now from Carina Press.

Happy sales, Janni!

BLURB

Christina Ashcroft
Here is the unedited blurb for Archangel of Death - the 2nd book in the Archangels series.

A hunter cursed by her tainted blood, an Archangel haunted by visions of death;an impossible love that should never exist…

Archangel of Death

When dhampir Rowan Moreton falls for the hottest guy she’s ever met, she’s determined to protect him from the sordid reality of her life as a hunter of rogue vampires. Her dearest wish is to lead a normal life, but with enemies waiting in the shadows and destined to die young, love is something she can only dream of.

The Archangel Azrael, protector of the astral planes and slayer of dhampirs, is captivated by the enchanting Rowan–despite her fragile human heritage. One night is all he wants. Except one night is not enough. Her body tempts him, her eyes enslave–and the secrets she keeps intrigue him.

But when their past comes back to haunt them they discover a connection that challenges every belief they’ve ever held. And in order to survive they need to learn to trust their deadliest enemy. Each other.